Even when on the precipice of playing for an NBA championship, Jimmy Butler continues to remember those that helped pave the way for his success, and he recently gave recognition to one of his early coaches on the hardwood.
On the heels of eliminating the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat star spoke with NBA on TNT’s Ernie Johnson in the postgame.
Amid Butler’s continuous praise for his teammates, Johnson was sure to ask about the impact that Butler’s old coach, Buzz Williams, had on the NBA star during his collegiate playing days. The Heat star’s response illustrated how the practices instilled in him by Williams have carried over into his NBA career:
[Johnson]: “Your old college coach Buzz Williams…he and I were swapping texts, and I asked him about coaching you and what made you special at that point. He said it was an uncanny basketball IQ, and it was never being satisfied. You just referred to that too. How does that translate to an NBA Finals appearance against the Denver Nuggets?”
[Butler]: “I mean, more than anything, I think Buzz taught me to rely and trust my teammates with everything. I do the same thing here with Spo….”
Jimmy Butler talking about his college coach, @TeamCoachBuzz, after advancing to the NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/4PlaLmFajX
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) May 30, 2023
Williams, who currently helms Texas A&M‘s basketball program, coached Jimmy Butler from 2008-2011 at Marquette.
In their three seasons together, Butler averaged 12.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG on 50.8 percent shooting from the field. The Golden Eagles reached the NCAA Tournament every year during the Williams-Butler era, with their farthest run coming in the 2010-11 season as they advanced to the Sweet 16.
As the Heat become just the second No. 8-seed to reach the NBA Finals, it’s clear that their feat was off the back of a team effort, which Butler consistently emphasizes. At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the grit and high IQ on display from the Heat’s bonafide leader, making Butler a de-facto disciple of the Buzz Williams coaching tree.
The fact that Butler not only carries those Buzz Williams traits with him at the NBA level but also instills them in his teammates is a fundamental reason why the Heat are on the precipice of making history.
Remember that Miami enters as clear underdogs in the NBA Finals versus the Nuggets. But that hurdle hasn’t limited this team before, so why would it now? So long as Butler continues to rely upon and trust in his teammates, as Buzz Williams taught him, this Heat team is capable of besting any team that stands in front of them.
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